Carbon 456 Drivetrain

DanG87

Looking at the 2012 XT divetrain for my new carbon 456 frame and cannot for the life of me decide whether to go 2x10 or 3x10. Already have new XT shifters, 11-36 cassette, chain and rear mech, just can't decide on the chainset.
The c456 will have a 2012 reba rlt at 120mm, and will be used for long day cross country and trail riding.
Never tried 2x10, only ever used 3x9 and i'm very tempted as i don't think i'll miss the highest/lowest gear combos of 3x9, but slightly worried i'll regret it.
Also does 2x10 require a lot of extra front shifting, is this a problem/annoyance
So after peoples opinions for or against??

On a side note is anyone running 2x10 on their c456, any issues i should be aware of?

Cheers, Dan

DodgeT

I was going to go 2 x 9 on my C456, SLX so 22/36 with 11 - 34 cassette.
In the end, i've gone 1 x 9, 35t wonky ring with the 11 - 34. Works well. Need to up my fitness for very long climbs, but other than that it's great.
I also run 2 x 10 (std) on my enduro, 24/36 front with 11 - 36 out back.

Out of the two set-ups, I prefer the single ring - again apart from very long hills ...
Good thing also with single ring is it takes chainsuck out of the equation.

hucking_fell

I'm 2x9 on both my bikes. 26t and 36t chainrings. Never missed having a 3rd chainring (replaced with a bashguard).

The 10spd XT double comes with 26t and 38t or 28t and 40t chainrings, no bash guard IIRC.

The SLX front mech I've got on one bike is a double specific one. I'm not sure if a double specific 10spd XT front mech is available.

I'm hoping to change the SRAM X9 drivetrain on the other bike to 2x10 XT once the clutch type rear mech is available.

DanG87

Think I may just go for 2x10, I would consider 1 x10 for simplicity but think it might be too much of a reduction in gear range. Which of the the chaining options would you recommend 40-28 or 38-26?
Is there any news on an XT clutch mech, seem the SLX one but haven't heard or seen anything For XT, probably inevitable tho

Anonymous

If you've been used to 3x9, go with 2x10. It's just about the same range and unlikely you'll miss the top/bottom ends. More so as 10 speed you can get to 36 on the rear which you probably wouldn't have had on the 9 speed.

That's the big selling point of 2x10.

The choice is what chainrings you use at the front.

On the c456, it shouldn't be an issue. I run a 1x10 on mine. Only problem I had was the 34t chainring was close to the chainstay and I got chainsuck, chain got jammed and scratched the chainstay. I've put a protection patch there now, but I've also made measures to avoid the chain doing that again. That's more of a 1x10 problem though as I have no front mech cage. With 2x10 the small ring is smaller than my single 34 anyway.

Chainring options... going to be up to you. Do you value gears for climbing more or for top speed? Myself I've got 39-26 on my AM bike and it's ideal for me.

supersonic

you may not miss the top and bottom ends... but you may miss the 32 ring ;-). I've seen a few riders now with 36/24 (and other combos) having to change more at the fornt as they are between gears.

J0s3e

Running 36-22 SLX with 9sp 11-28 SLX cassette on my HT (similar geometry to 456) and couldn't be happier. The closer ratio at the back means you have more gears to choose from for efficient pedalling, since the differences aren't as steep as on 11-32 or 11-34 cassettes. It also allows you to run short cage mech, and keep the chain tension better, which prevents the chain slapping about. I spend most of the time in the 36 chainring, only switch to granny up front for steep climbs. Also, the M665 is a reasonable price, and comes with BB and a bashring too. You might want to, however, have a look at different ratios (38-24, 40-26) if you are more of an XC speed junkie. Just make sure the frame is compatible with 36+ middle, as it is the position where your big ring will be. My Norco has a huge clearance allowing me to run 38, but not more.

DanG87

Cheers guys, supersonic I presume you prefer a triple, does the extra front shifting have a negative effect on the ride or does it just annoy you?
JOs3e- So if I go for the XT double would it put the large chaining in the position where the middle ring would be on a triple, presume a 40 tooth ring would be to big and foul the chainstay? 38 possibly too big aswell depending on clearance:-/

supersonic

it was more annoying really, just more shifting for me. I run a 44/32/22 now - I don't use the big ring much, but is there if I need it, and stay in the 32 for the majority.

DodgeT

My 35t (albeit wonky) ring only just clears the chainstay. Its fitted in the outer position on an slx double crankset (middle on a triple).
I doubt it very much that a 40 would fit unless on triple outer position.

EdW

I'm running 1x10 on my Carbon 456 (36T with 11-36 cassette) & I love it, it really suits my riding style & keeps everythig simple & un-cluttered.
In my experience 36T is about as big as you can go on the middle ring if you go 1x10 or 2x10 using cranks that have the same chainline as the tripple.
But the new 2x10 XT chainset has a different chainline which I think moves the bigger ring further out. So there might be enough clearance for 38 or 40. Email On-One & ask them.

J0s3e

Yeah, you have to have a look into it, basically the cheaper options of cranksets are the triples with the large ring missing, and there is the possibility of the new ones being made with revisited geometry, where the bigger ring would be in between large and middle on triple and the small between the small and medium, which should give you a bit more clearance. I don't know anything about that, though. However, as said, contact On-One, they'll let you know what you can run.

bails87

I've got a C456 with a 24/28 double setup on an SLX triple crank, works fine.